Cissy Houston, renowned gospel singer and Whitney Houston's mother, dies at 91
Cissy Houston, renowned soul and gospel singer and mother to Whitney Houston, died at the age of 91.
Cissy Houston, renowned soul and gospel singer and mother to Whitney Houston, died at the age of 91.
Houston, a two-time Grammy winner who sang backup for Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, passed away at her home Monday morning in New Jersey, according to her daughter-in-law Pat Houston. Houston, who was surrounded by her family, was under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” shared Pat Houston in a statement. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community."
"Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts," the statement said. "Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled. We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for all the many valuable life lessons that she taught us. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members.”
Whitney Houston and Cissy Houston at the Annual People's Choice Awards in 1993. CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images file Born in Newark, New Jersey, Houston got her start in entertainment as a member of the gospel group Drinkard Four. She later formed the Sweet Inspirations alongside Dee Dee Warwick and Doris Troy, singing backup for Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. As part of the group, she sang backup on Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Burning of the Midnight Lamp.”
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